Starting July 1, all Shanghai drugstores will require customers to show a doctor's prescription when selling antibiotics not on the over-the-counter medicine list.

The ruling is in accordance with a new order issued by the national FDA, in a bid to arouse the awareness of the medical community and public about antibiotics abuse and regulate the proper usage of antibiotics.

At present, the consumption of antibiotics ranks first in clinical use and drugstore sales, said officials from the local drug authority. The abuse of antibiotics has already resulted in health problems such as kidney and liver damage.

Currently, many people consider antibiotics as a cure-all and take them for fevers, colds, diarrhea and other conditions without visiting doctors

Overuse of antibiotics decreases the drug's effectiveness and increases bacteria's resistance. Currently, newly developed antibiotics only remain effective for two to three years. In some cases, patients' resistance to antibiotics means no medicine can help, experts said. Their condition can turn life threatening.

Experts said since people can buy antibiotics in drugstores without prescriptions, the problem has worsened. In some drugstores, antibiotics are sold to customers without a prescription, regardless of whether the medicine is classified OTC.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2004)